The Action and Solidarity Party (PAS, a pro-western party founded by President Maia Sandu back in 2016) won an outright majority, taking 63 seats in the 101-member Parliament, nearly double of its main rival, the Electoral Bloc of Communists and Socialists (BECS, a pro-Russian party, led by former President Igor Dodon). The number of women MPs increased from 26 (25.74%) to 40 (39.6%, see note). On 30 July, the President nominated former Finance Minister Natalia Gavrilita as the Prime Minister. On 6 August, Parliament approved the new government.

The 2021 elections were the first to be held under President Sandu, elected in November 2020 on the promise of an anti-corruption and anti-poverty agenda. On 28 April 2021, she dissolved Parliament in view of early elections. Prior to that she had claimed that the outgoing legislature, controlled by the allies of former President Dodon, had been blocking her reforms. The 2021 elections were held during the COVID-19 pandemic which had severely hit the country’s economy. In their election campaigning, the major parties had focused on the economy, judicial reforms and anti-corruption measures.

Note:
According to Law no. 71 adopted in April 2016, the country’s political parties must ensure equal rights and opportunities to their members and respect the minimum rate of representation of 40 per cent for both sexes. Overall, the percentage of women candidates had increased from 34.8 per cent (332 women out of 954 candidates) in 2019 to 46.73 per cent (837 women out of 1,791 candidates) in 2021.